While wolf spiders are not especially dangerous spiders, they can be a shock to see around your property due to their large size. Keep reading to understand how to identify this spider and find ways to keep it off your Vernal property.
Identifying Wolf Spiders
Wolf spiders are among the largest spider species and often grow up to two inches in length. They have a brown to grey coloration and typically sport fairly hairy legs and two dark stripes on their back. Their appearance combined with their preferred method of hunting – alone and chasing down prey – earns them their name of wolf spider.
Different from other types of spiders, wolf spiders don’t spin webs to catch prey. They instead live in burrows lined with silk and use this as a shelter. To acquire food, they will emerge from their burrow at night and using their excellent vision, speed, and size, hunt prey such as cockroaches, ants, flies, and grasshoppers.
Wolf spiders may be very scary looking, especially to those individuals who fear spiders, but these arachnids don’t pose a significant risk to people or pets around your Vernal property. They generally choose to keep to themselves and will only bite if they feel threatened. Even then, a wolf spider bite is not necessarily anything to be worried about. They can be painful, but unless you have a history of allergies to spider or insect bites, you will likely not encounter any serious negative side effects.
That said, if you experience any of the following symptoms after being bitten by a wolf spider, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Difficulty breathing
Extreme itchiness around the bite
A rash around the bitten area
Swelling
Blistering
Keeping Wolf Spiders Off Your Property
For the most part, wolf spiders prefer to remain outdoors, away from people. They can easily burrow into outdoor areas and have a wealth of prey and moisture to survive on. However, wolf spiders will occasionally find themselves inside as they chase prey or because they are attracted to certain hiding spots in your home. If you have an underlying pest problem in your house, such as an infestation of ants, cockroaches, or flies, chances are that you will also develop a wolf spider problem.
Inside homes, wolf spiders tend to live in basements, bathroom cabinets, or kitchens – anywhere that is dark, fairly secluded, and offers up a steady source of food.
Ways to get rid of spiders include the following prevention tips to keep them off of your property in the first place:
Seal up potential entry points around your windows, doors, and foundation. Be sure to keep exterior doors closed as often as possible to shut out spiders and their pest prey.
Declutter your house and yard regularly to reduce the number of hiding spots for wolf spiders both outside and inside.
Make sure that all trash and food waste are sealed tightly and disposed of quickly to prevent the odor from attracting pests and the spiders that hunt them.
Professional Spider Control
Finding lots of spiders in your house can only mean that your property is hospitable to both spiders and their pest prey. The best way to keep wolf spiders and their insect prey out of your home in Vernal, UT, is with proactive prevention and professional help. The experts at J&M Pest Control will be able to provide you with targeted solutions that fully eliminate spiders from your home and prevent them from returning. Contact us today to find out more!